Today we’re thrilled to announce our end-of-year campaign, “One Small Act Can Change a Life.”
CRP was established eleven years ago in the hope of helping those in the direst of situations. We aimed to help those whom lost their homes, possessions, and livelihoods, and contribute something, when the world community was simply not doing enough in the face of the biggest refugee crises in history.
Just over a decade on we’ve established a thriving community in the neighborhood of Hashemi Shamali with your help. We offer English classes, food assistance, and trauma-relief groups. We provide a safe place for children to meet new friends and learn. And together we’ve become one of the only providers of assistance to the Sudanese refugee community of Amman.
Every December marks the beginning of our end-of-year Campaign. This year our aim is to raise $85,000 and add 40 new Partners in Repair (our monthly donors). This is no small goal, and if attained, will be the most we’ve ever raised in a campaign. But 2018 is an ambitious year for us. We know, however, that it only takes a few minutes to change lives at CRP. When we look back on not only this year, but all of our time in Hashemi Shamali, we see the accumulation of thousands of small acts, thousands of donations that add up to robust programming and basic-needs assistance.
But, we can’t meet our goals for 2018 alone. We need your help to continue growing our After-School Club. Which provides a place for kids to come and meet new friends. And like yesterday, learn about things like gravity, and build protective-foam egg casings to drop from CRP’s roof.
We need your help to continue providing outlets for those affected by trauma: men who’ve lost a sense of purpose, and are unable to provide for their families, yet come to CRP and find a community, (and ping-pong table!); women who’ve faced abuse, or are trying to raise their families alone, and come to CRP to take computer classes, or partake in Hope Workshop, and brush away their problems with paint and pencil.
Most importantly, your help can aid in supporting the Sudanese, Yemeni, and Somali communities, who face harassment, inadequate housing, and the threat of deportation if caught working. Our food vouchers currently help around 40 minority refugee families per month, (the UNHCR estimates there are around 10,000 individuals living in Jordan, but admits due to lack of resources the number is likely higher.) In 2018, however, CRP is planning to expand our food assistance, and establish a satellite center where families can bring their kids without having to worry about them being teased because of the color of their skin.
Unfortunately, eleven years on, the number of people fleeing violence in the region persists. We continue to receive new refugees from Iraq. The Syrian crisis has entered its seventh year. And we’re just beginning to understand the scope of the Sudanese, Somali, and Yemeni communities in Amman. We hope you’ll take three minutes and join us as the campaign kicks off and we prepare to traverse the new year. There’s still much work to be done.
